What if ? Exploring alternative scientific pasts

Who hasn't wondered what their life would be like today if some past event had turned out differently - that inconsequential decision, for example, that led you to meet the love of your life. Sometimes, small choices change everything. And that is just as true of world history as it is of your personal life.

Time was when the past was seen as a long march towards an inevitable present. But historians have come to realise that the present is anything but inevitable. And so New Scientist asked a panel of experts to speculate on the scientific pasts that might have been. Follow the links below to find out what might have happened if Darwin had not sailed on the Beagle, or Einstein not had his miracle year, as well as many other scenarios. Or read on while Gregory Radick makes the case for virtual history.